Today’s headlines: Global EV sales rebound, a gas- and battery-powered data center megaproject, and more

This roundup of U.S. energy news headlines is part of our Canary Media Daily newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each morning.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

• Global EV sales remained slow in the first three months of the year but rose 35% in the second quarter even amid lackluster growth in China and the U.S., the world’s two biggest EV markets. (International Energy Agency)

• Without an established battery-recycling supply chain, China is already struggling with how to deal with EV batteries that need to be retired, and the problem is only set to get bigger. (Inside Climate News)

BATTERIES

• Startup Antora Energy raises $550 million to ramp up production of thermal batteries that could decarbonize heavy industry and data centers. (Bloomberg, news release)

DATA CENTERS

• Investment giant Brookfield and utility NextEra Energy announce plans for a $100 billion AI data center campus on a federally owned, former uranium enrichment facility that will include 2 GW of dedicated gas generation and 2.6 GW of battery storage. (Power)

FOSSIL FUELS

• China generated less than half of its electricity from coal over the first six months of the year, marking a first for that time span. (Reuters)

• The Trump administration is reportedly trying to convince fossil fuel industry leaders to reopen defunct petroleum refineries in an attempt to increase supply and lower fuel prices. (E&E News)

UTILITIES

• The Trump administration is considering weakening energy-efficiency standards for distribution transformers — rules that were approved in 2024 with utility industry support. (Utility Dive)

POLITICS

• Renewables industry group Advanced Energy United rolls out state policy road maps to help incoming governors speed deployment of clean energy. (E&E News)

• Former Biden administration officials and climate experts release a collection of clean energy policies they hope a future Democratic president will pursue should they win the next election. (E&E News)